


Bad Beat

by astroaethrae



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: ...Sortta., Alternate Universe - Yakuza, Gambling (kind of??), M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-09
Updated: 2019-01-09
Packaged: 2019-10-07 08:13:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17362319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astroaethrae/pseuds/astroaethrae
Summary: All Seifer wanted to do was have a drink and get away from the commotion of the casino he was dragged to for Roxas's twenty-first birthday. After accidentally confronting Vanitas, the casino owner/big boss of yakuza gang "Void Gear," Seifer finds himself in a gamble for his freedom.





	Bad Beat

**Author's Note:**

  * For [reijeux](https://archiveofourown.org/users/reijeux/gifts).



> This was written for my dear friend reijeux's birthday! It...turned out way longer than I originally planned because I had no idea what to do. She simply sent me a prompt about a SeiVan yakuza AU and I did what I could to oblige~ Since it's so long, I'm content with it standing on its own, but I may down the line expand on this and add additional chapters or other works in a collection. We'll see.
> 
> The last names used here (minus Seifer's, of course) are part of an RP universe reijeux and I have, so that's why they're included.

The vibrant flashing lights and cacophony of gamblers squandering their hard-earned money was enough to give him a headache. Scratch that— _headache_ was a gross understatement. Everything about the casino he found himself in was enough to give him a head-splitting _migraine_. How did he even get here, again? Oh. _Right_. Little shit Roxas “Twinkerbell” Maddox and his troop of jerkoffs _demanded_ he and his own crew join them to celebrate the cupcake’s twenty-first birthday. _He_ didn’t want to really go, of course; he _loathed_ gambling, but his crew thought it would be _fun_ and managed to persuade him to come along. Now he wished he had ignored them all. _Fuck_.

Seifer decided he’d be better off getting a drink (or seven) in his system to at least make the night _tolerable_. The Jerkoff Troop were already off doing their own thing, Twinkerbell himself was in the process of ogling some redheaded dealer wearing (surprisingly impressive) eyeliner, and Seifer’s own gang were back and forth between playing games and watching other gamblers (“To learn the skill, y’know!”). As much as he wanted to drown himself in an endless whirlpool of booze, Seifer was a responsible man and decided against it. One drink would be fine, and he could possibly find somewhere _quiet_ to pass the time until he had to accompany all of the brats back to their hotel. It was hard being the only damn responsible grownup sometimes.

“Mint julep, please,” he grumbled to the bartender.

A soft snort of amusement came from beside him. Feeling his eyebrow twitch in irritation, he turned his head to face the asshole who had the gumption to mock another man’s choice of drink. He immediately regretted this decision, as said asshole turned out to be a vision who nearly made his jaw slacken.

Beside him stood a young man—he guessed no older than twenty-eight—dressed in the fanciest damn suit he had ever seen. It was well-tailored to fit perfectly, managing to show off every slight curve and well-defined muscle of his surprisingly short stature. Seifer was unsure what materials were used to make the suit, but he could immediately tell that it was made of the _finest_ quality; jet black with a slightly visible pattern of intricate vines and leaves decorating the fabric. Below the suit jacket, Seifer could spot the hints of a maroon silk shirt. The man’s tie was a matching black and was held in place by a gold tiepin shaped like a split gear.

The man himself had a fair complexion that contrasted with his raven hair (styled in an appealing partially slicked-back spikey fashion). He had a beautiful face, and were it not for the intense gaze of his sharp golden eyes and the pointed canines protruding from his wicked smirk, Seifer would’ve sworn he was looking at the face of an angel. However, judging from the vibes the man emitted and the way he carried himself, he knew he wasn’t dealing with an angel. No, quite the contrary; he was convinced he was looking at the Devil himself.

“Mint julep, ‘ey? Cute. Move over, Junior. Oi, barkeep, a bottle of sake.”

Seifer couldn’t help the small shiver of pleasure that ran up his back, caused solely by the sound of this devil’s voice—smooth, confident, and a pleasant tenor laced with mischief. The way he spoke wasn’t refined like Seifer would have expected, but he made it _work_. Honestly, he was _just_ Seifer’s type, albeit way more posh (and admittedly, definitely less _well-behaved_ ) than he’d usually prefer. He was twink- _ish_ , but at the same time _not_ , so Seifer could only mentally fashion him as “anti-twink” (yes, he _did_ have a thing for twinks, although he would never, ever, _ever_ in a million years admit that out loud; never mind that everyone _knew_ ). Despite this, however, the punk still insulted his honor, and _that_ wouldn’t fly with him.

“The fuck? What’s your problem, jackass?” he growled, squinting at the shorter man.

Behind him, the bartender’s breath hitched as if Seifer had done something _unthinkable_. In front of him, the raven-haired man’s eyes narrowed slightly before his smirk broadened.

“Oh- _ho_! Looks like we got a _badass_ over here~” he taunted. “Sorry, sweetheart, but I can’t take you seriously with your bitch drinks. Man up a little and _maybe_ you can come talk to the big boys~”

Okay, _no one_ fucking talks to Seifer Almasy that way.

Growling, he roughly grabbed the little punk by the collar and hoisted him to face-level. Time appeared to stop altogether as both the bartender and the surrounding patrons _froze_ in place, watching in a bizarre mixture of horror, anticipation, and _pity_. Seifer did _not_ like those looks; they made him feel as if he had been given a death sentence. Regardless, he persisted, as it was too late to back down and he wasn’t a little bitch.

“You sure got a mouth on you. What, think you’re better than everyone else because you got money or somethin’?”

The golden-eyed devil grinned, his eyes brightening with an amused glint that only served to piss Seifer off even more.

“I’m going to assume you don’t know who I am, because nobody else would be this stupid.”

“I don’t give a _fuck_ who you are, Moneybags, I’ll still teach you a lesson!” Seifer snapped.

Before he could land a punch into that irritatingly pretty face, a large hand tightly gripped his shoulder and yanked him away from the anti-twink. He spun around to face the intruder, ready to knock him into Oblivion, but was stunned into silence at the sight of a _brute_ of a man; one who stood well over six-foot-five (taller than _him_ , even if only slightly) with long brown hair, a stern handsome face, and _angry_ capri-blue eyes. The scariest thing about him, though, was the sheer size of his _muscles_. Although not as packed as a professional body-builder, Seifer knew that he would be at a disadvantage should he try to take on someone of this bear’s size; from the force in which he was yanked away from the smaller man alone, he knew this guy was _strong_.

Beside him stood a much smaller man—both in stature and in girth—who looked oddly like an older version of Roxas (hell, even his spikey blonde hair was styled in a similar manner). His face was soft and kind, but his sky-blue eyes radiated a fierceness that Seifer knew would be foolish to underestimate. Both of them donned similar well-tailored suits to the posh punk, as well as the same gold tiepin. Judging from the awkward silence now surrounding the situation, Seifer decided the best course of action would be to cede to these two lackeys.

“Alright, alright, I get it,” he said, holding up his hands in an attempt to avoid having his face punched in by the bear-man.

Said bear-man only grunted at him before looking at Moneybags.

“Want me to take out the trash, Vanitas?”

Vanitas. So _that_ was his name. Everything _almost_ made sense now.

“Nah, that’s not necessary, Terra. He’s not important. He has no idea who runs this joint and has a seriously fragile ego, so it’s only natural he’d act like a dumbass because I insulted his drinking. He’s _almost_ on par with you, Little Princess~”

The Roxas lookalike huffed irritably and rolled his eyes.

“Shut the hell up,” he grumbled, crossing his arms.

Terra glanced fondly at “Little Princess” and gave him a smile. “Little Princess” returned it, and Seifer immediately knew by the way they looked at each other that there was _something_ going on between them. Before he could dwell any further on it, Vanitas straightened himself out and smirked at him.

“What’s your name?”

“It’s…Seifer.”

“Seiferrrrr…got a last name?”

“Almasy.”

“Seifer Almasy. Gotcha~”

Seifer saw the small blonde man scribble what he assumed was his name down in a tiny notebook. _That_ couldn’t have been good.

“Well, Seifer. My name is Vanitas B. Palinouros, and I own this joint.”

 _Oof_.

“I. Oh. I. Well. Still.” Seifer frowned. “Just because you own this place doesn’t mean I’m gonna kiss your ass. I’ll admit I overreacted, but I’m not sorry. Someone needs to take you down a peg or two, and you’re just asking for it.”

He heard the two lackeys snort behind him, whereas Vanitas’s smirk grew _wider_ (eerily so).

“So _that’s_ how it is~ Alright~ Well then, Seifer, why don’t you come join us?”

Although it was phrased as a question, Seifer knew it wasn’t a request. Judging from the tense atmosphere he had just created, he could tell that he didn’t have a choice in the matter either way. So, he did the only reasonable thing to do: he nodded.

“ _Fantastic_ ~” the raven-haired devil purred before turning his attention to the bartender. “Barkeep, Seifer’s _mint julep_ is on me.”

The bartender nodded and proceeded to go back to business. Slowly, the tension started to dissipate, although a feeling of unease still lingered in the air. Once he had his drink in hand and Vanitas had his bottle of sake, Seifer followed him through the casino into a closed-off, private section of the building. Once inside, Seifer noticed several men in fancy suits engaged in quiet, calmer gambling amongst each other. None of them bothered to even look in his direction. Instead, they remained seated on the plush couches, focused on their games. Honestly, although the situation was one he would prefer to _not_ be in, Seifer was slightly relieved he at least got his wish for a quieter space.

Vanitas led him further into the private section until he reached a door decorated with a large, elaborate rendition of his tiepin; that same gold, split gear. Seifer couldn’t deny that he was curious as to what the symbol meant.

Opening the door, the raven-haired man gestured for Seifer to take a seat. He nodded and walked in, sitting down on a lavish couch near what appeared to be a card table. Further towards the back of the room at a tiny table sat a blue-haired woman, who, like the other three, wore a decorative black suit. In her hands was a deck of cards that she idly shuffled; Seifer assumed she was a dealer should any gambling take place.

Vanitas sat across from him and opened the bottle of sake. Terra and “Little Princess” stood behind him, their eyes scrutinizing Seifer like he was an insect that needed to be squashed. Obviously, he was a _little_ on edge.

“Well, Seifer, welcome to my private room~” Vanitas said cheerily. “We should all get acquainted, yeah?”

“I…suppose…?” was all Seifer could say.

Vanitas chuckled and gestured to the two lackeys behind him.

“You’ve met my brother Ventus and his husband, Terra. Or as they proudly write on all their stationary, Mr. and Mrs. Abelard~”

Terra and Ventus tried not to flush in embarrassment, but Seifer noted that they were failing, especially as the blue-haired woman in the corner snorted.

“Over there is Aqua. She usually deals at any games played back here. Are you interested?”

Seifer felt Vanitas eye him down predatorily, like a snake ready to devour a rodent.

“Uh…no, thank you. I don’t gamble.”

Vanitas cocked an eyebrow.

“No? Then what the fuck are you doing in a _casino_?”

“I’m only here because I was dragged along by my…friends. Today is my friend’s birthday, and he wanted to celebrate by coming to a casino. He…just turned twenty-one.”

“Aaaah, I see, I see~ So you’re a _chaperone_ , yeah?”

“I. Yeah, I guess. Kinda.”

The raven-haired man laughed, both mockingly and in amusement. It was a cruel laugh, yet strangely beautiful at the same time.

“You’re a piss-poor one at that, nearly getting your ass handed to you and thrown out~ You’d better learn to control that mouth of yours, _Seifer_ , or you might just pick a fight with someone you _really_ shouldn’t have.”

That was _definitely_ a threat.

“Er…yeah… I’ll keep that in mind…” Seifer muttered, not knowing how to properly respond. Had this been any normal bloke off the street, he would’ve flattened him by now, but this wasn’t any “normal bloke;” hell, the longer he sat there with the golden-eyed devil, the more threatened and trapped he felt.

“I sure hope so~”

With that, Vanitas shot back a cup of sake. Seifer in turn awkwardly sipped on his mint julep, his eyes glancing around the room at the elaborate decorating within. It was blatantly clear that Vanitas had a specific color scheme: black, deep reds, and gold. The velvet couches were a rich blood-red, and the tables shone in the soft lighting due to their polished, gold-embellished onyx surfaces. Various weapons decorated the walls—most of them blades, the majority of which appeared to be katanas—with the occasional obscure art piece to tie the weaponry together tastefully. Most of these objects, Seifer gathered, were probably worth more than everything he owned combined on an individual level, so he could only _imagine_ the amount of wealth Vanitas possessed. It was all rather overwhelming, and something in his gut didn’t sit well the more the thought about it.

Vanitas appeared to notice his ever-increasing discomfort, but said nothing. Instead, he continued to drink his sake in silence as he observed his guest. It was only when Seifer began to slightly fidget did he finally decide to speak.

“Almost everything on these walls I’ve won from bets. Hell, some of the businesses I’m in charge of were handed over to me because some assholes got cocky and bet against me. Most idiots believe in _luck_ , which is why they’ll rush headfirst into placing bets that only lead them down the path to Hell.” He paused to smirk as Seifer’s attention turned to him, his golden eyes flashing wickedly. He continued, “There’s no such thing as luck, only _strategy_. See, it’s all about knowing how to play your cards right—where to move the pieces on the board. You figure out the strategy, and anything you want is _yours_.”

“I…see…” was all Seifer could muster. He was unsure of how to respond, and if this rich little fucker was trying to tempt him into placing a bet against him, he wasn’t going to bite. Hell no, not in a million years.

Vanitas chuckled.

“Yeah, I’m sure. Look at it this way: every move you make in life is a gamble of sorts. You’re constantly making choices and betting on different outcomes. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. For example, Terra here played his cards right and won his princess bride.”

Terra and Ventus flushed once again, although this time they were attempting to contain their fond smiles.

“Aqua over there, on the other hand, didn’t fair so lucky. See, she used to work for a business rival of mine. Her boss trusted her, but she fell through and well, here she is.”

Across the room, Aqua let out a soft breath. She sat stone-faced and looked as if she wanted to say something, but she kept quiet. Seifer noticed Terra and Ventus give her a consoling look, to which she relaxed slightly. It was a strange sight to behold, and the knot in his stomach only grew tighter as a result.

“Okay, but…what…does all that have to do with you bringing me back here?” he asked.

Vanitas’s smirked viciously as he stared Seifer dead in the eye.

“What I’m saying is that you played a bad hand in the game, and now it’s up to you to see if you can recover. I wonder if you can do it~”

It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out the little demon’s meaning; Seifer royally fucked up earlier at the bar by threatening him, and now he was brought here to make up for it. He knew nothing about this man except that he was crazy rich and took pleasure in gambling with everything he does, but Seifer knew that he was now dealing with an incredibly dubious situation. He realized that he was facing one of two options: either he convinces Vanitas to let him go, or he fucks it all up and most likely ends up in a body bag by the end of the night. This realization caused his heartrate to increase, and he felt the sweat start to form on the back of his neck; never in his life had he ever regretted letting his temper get the best of him until now. However, he was still too proud to grovel. No matter what, Seifer was _not_ going to kiss this prick’s ass regardless of the outcome. If he had to die, he was going to die holding his head high. We wasn’t a coward, so begging for his life wasn’t an option.

“Well, now that you have me here, I suppose I gotta deal with it the best I can,” he said, crossing his arms as he stared at the smaller man. “I’m still not gonna kiss your ass, though. I won’t beg you for shit, either.”

Vanitas’s smirk only broadened.

“That’s why I brought you back here~ See, I fuckin’ _hate_ groveling. A man with _dignity_ is one I respect, hence why you’re here instead of chopped up in a dumpster. I have no patience for cowards, which is why I’m giving you a chance to win your ticket out of here. What do you say?”

Seifer knew full well he didn’t have a choice. He exhaled deeply and picked up his glass to take a drink.

“Fine. I’m in. But first, just. Who the hell _are_ you?”

The devil cackled, his eyes flashing in amusement.

“I told you, I’m Vanitas B. Palinouros. And I’m the head boss of Void Gear.”

Seifer’s eyes widened and the grip on his drink slackened, the glass falling to the floor and shattering. Oh. _Fuck_. It all made sense now.

“Void Gear—you mean…you mean the _yakuza_ _group_ …?!” he exclaimed, the world crashing down around him.

If he wasn’t convinced he was a dead man previously, he was now _thoroughly_ convinced he was going to be by the end of the night. He had threatened and insulted a fucking _yakuza boss_ , and now he had to face the consequences of his _stupid_ actions. He could only stare dumbfounded at Vanitas, who simply laughed at his distress.

“ _Relax_ , butterfingers! I’m not _all_ bad. I recognized you didn’t know who I was, didn’t I? I’m letting you off with a _warning_ ~ However, since I like your moxie, I want to give you a _challenge_. Either you earn your freedom, or you’re _mine_. Sounds fair, doesn’t it?”

“W-wait…wait, _what_?” Seifer stammered, the shock starting to sink in.

Vanitas’s face seemed to contort into the evilest expression of amusement Seifer ever had the displeasure of witnessing. His pointed canines were bared in the most malevolent of grins, and his golden eyes clouded over with what he could only assume was bloodlust. He was the predator, Seifer was his prey, and there was no escape. He knew full well he had control over the situation, and it resonated in his voice.

“Exactly what it sounds like. You made your bet, and now you gotta follow through. If you can beat me in a simple game, you walk out that door a free man, no strings attached. If you _lose_ , though, I _own you_.”

“Wait, _own_?! What do you _mean_ ‘own,’ that’s ridiculous!”

Seifer was aghast. How else was he supposed to respond to _that_? You can’t just _own_ a person! Right? Right.

“ _Is_ it, though?” Vanitas practically purred, sipping his sake like they were engaged in the most casual conversation in the world. “I mean, I’m this region’s biggest crime lord, yeah? Ask the cops and they’ll tell you I’m pretty much _untouchable_ , so. I’d say anything I do with you is fair game. Nothing _ridiculous_ about it~”

As much as Seifer wanted to fight back against this cruel hand Fate had dealt him, he instead gnashed his teeth in frustration. The man had a point; what could _anyone_ do except play along with the crime lord’s whims? All he could do was play Vanitas’s game and pray that he came out victorious. It was really simple: beat this asshole in a stupid game and he could be on his merry fucking way like nothing ever happened.

“Fine,” he said. “What are we playing?”

Vanitas gestured to Aqua, who stood from her spot and walked over to the table. She set the deck of cards she was holding down and reached into a drawer to retrieve three more. She shuffled each deck once individually with skill, then shuffled them all together so they formed one large stack.

Son of a _bitch_ , Seifer _hated_ card games. He was horrible at them, but he wasn’t going to give up this early.

“Since you said you don’t _gamble_ , we’ll keep it simple,” Vanitas said, handing his bottle of sake to Terra. “We’re playing five-card draw. It’s the simplest version of poker out there. Aqua will explain the rules.”

Seifer turned his attention to the blue-haired dealer.

“The rules are simple. Your objective is to make the best five-card hand possible after one draw, to which you’ll bet accordingly. The player with the best hand after the second betting round takes the pot.”

Seifer held up a hand to interject.

“I…don’t have any money to put _in_ the pot, though.”

“Oh, don’t worry,” Vanitas said with a grin. “Let’s make this situation even _more_ interesting, shall we? I’ll give you money to play with. Not _loan_ , I said _give_. Meaning if you win, you’ll not only get to keep your freedom, but you can keep the cash without having to worry about my ass tracking you down to pay it back. Sound good?”

“I-I…uh…if you say so…”

“Fantastic~ How’s a hundred grand sound?”

Seifer’s mouth nearly hit the floor as he stared disbelievingly at the yakuza boss.

“A-a-a _hundred_ _grand_?!” he exclaimed. “Are you serious?!”

“Why not?” Vanitas asked with a nonchalant shrug. “It’d make one hell of a story to tell, don’t you think?”

“I-I…! Ugh… _fine_ , just…let’s do this already…”

“Of course~ Alright, Aqua, continue.”

Aqua nodded and proceeded to explain the rules. Luckily Seifer was familiar with the _basics_ of poker so he could keep up with the terminology and description of hands. He wasn’t sure if he should feel grateful or insulted, as Aqua even threw in a simple strategy to help him.

“Don’t play too many hands. That’s the biggest newbie mistake, and you can easily get over your head by making small pairs and drawing hands. Pay attention to the position of your cards, as position is extremely important. Avoid playing drawing hands. Try to avoid drawing straights and flushes too late in a hand, as you’ll most likely be against the odds of being successful. Lastly, if you have a pair, draw three cards. If you have a three-of-a-kind, draw two cards. If you have two pair, draw one card. Got all that?”

Seifer repeated her advice in his head, doing what he could to memorize the words. After a moment of processing the information he was given, he nodded.

“Yeah. Let’s do this.”

Aqua nodded, and Vanitas smirked. Before they began, he gestured for Terra and Ventus to take a seat so they could watch. Once they made themselves comfortable, he turned his attention back to the table.

“Okay. Place your antes.”

“I’ll play with one hundred thousand, same as Seifer. So, put ten thousand in the pot from me,” Vanitas said, no hesitation in his voice whatsoever.

Aqua nodded and dealt him his chips after taking the appropriate amount for the pot, then dealt him five face-down cards. She then turned to Seifer.

“Uh…I guess…also ten grand…” he muttered, deciding to just follow Vanitas’s lead in that regard.

He in turn was dealt his chips and cards.

“Player to my left starts each betting round,” the blue-haired dealer stated, looking at Seifer. “That’s you. Would you like to stand pat, or would you like to throw away cards?”

Seifer glanced at his cards. It looked to him like he was off to a pretty good start: he had one pair of Aces. However, he was well aware that although it wasn’t the _worst_ hand he could have, he needed to do better if he wanted to win and get the hell out of this nightmare of a situation.

“I’ll throw away three cards…” he said, sliding three cards over to Aqua before drawing three new ones from the top of the deck. “And bet five thousand…”

Aqua nodded, then turned to Vanitas.

“Ten thousand,” he grunted, tossing in his chips and exchanging two cards.

Seifer exhaled softly as they went back and forth between betting and drawing. He observed how Vanitas positioned his cards with skill, and he attempted to do the same. Although his heart was racing and he felt himself start to sweat, he knew he had to keep calm and think rationally about his next move. So far, he felt he was doing pretty well, and due to the simplicity of the game he was picking it up relatively quick. Even Vanitas appeared to be impressed—if only slightly—at his ability to quickly gain footing in the game. Several turns into the match, he had managed to build a decent hand. Having perfected the perfect “poker face” long before he ever played a game of actual poker, Seifer mentally nodded to himself in approval at the Flush in his hand.

All of his cards were Hearts, and he was only one card away from a _Straight Flush_. If he could just exchange his Three of Hearts for a for a Five of Hearts, he would be golden: Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven, Six, Five. If he was lucky enough to succeed, he was fairly confident the game was _his_ ; the only way Vanitas could beat him in that case was if he somehow managed to get a Royal Flush, and the chances of _that_ were slim. Managing to keep a blank expression, Seifer exchanged his Three and drew a new card. Mentally holding his breath, he slowly glanced at the card he was betting his chances on…and his gut jolted.

 _Fuck_ yeah, score! Vanitas may have shit-talked luck earlier, but Seifer was now thoroughly convinced it _did_ exist, as he was staring at the Five of Hearts he needed in order to build that _beautiful_ Straight Flush. It took all of his energy to not cry out in victory and shove all of his chips into the middle of the table in confidence, but he managed to restrain himself. Instead, he placed a small bet and decided to hold.

Vanitas’s face remained the same throughout the entirety of the game; not once did his eyebrow twitch, his mouth move, or his eyes shift. He was virtually expressionless; not even his body language betrayed him. He was completely still the entire time, which both impressed _and_ unnerved Seifer.

“I’m all in,” the raven-haired man said, pushing all of his chips to the center of the table. “And with that, I hold.”

 _That_ surprised Seifer. It surprised him so much, in fact, that he almost sputtered in surprise. Thankfully he contained himself, as this was _clearly_ some sort of intimidation tactic. There was _no way_ he actually had the upper hand. At best, Seifer guessed he had a Straight Flush like himself. Once Aqua directed her attention to him, he nodded.

“I fold,” he said confidently, laying his cards down face-up.

Aqua’s eyebrow twitched in surprise. Beside him, Ventus let out a soft gasp and Terra whistled. All eyes then turned to Vanitas.

“Mm, _damn_ ,” he said. “That’s impressive.”

Seifer’s hopes skyrocketed. He _had this_.

“Guess since there’s nothing else to bet against, I have to fold myself.”

Face still expressionless as ever, Vanitas painstakingly _slowly_ flipped his cards over. Ventus practically jumped to his feet, Terra sat motionless, and Aqua stood expressionless. Seifer, in turn, felt his blood run _cold_.

Staring him right in the face were five Spades: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, Ten. A fucking _Royal Flush_.

“Hot damn! So _close_ ~” Vanitas cackled cruelly. “Not bad for a pleb, kid! I’m _almost_ tempted to let you walk away _anyway_ because of how well you did, but alas, a deal’s a deal.”

Seifer could only sit there in stunned silence, his entire body slumping in disbelief. How? _How_? There’s no way this was real. He was dreaming. He was in the middle of a fucking _nightmare_ , and his alarm was going to go off any minute. He just drank too much the night before, and now he simply needed to wake up. Yeah. That’s it.

Just as he convinced himself that everything happening right now wasn’t _real_ , his phone vibrated in his pocket. He glanced at Vanitas, who only waved a hand at him in a “yeah, yeah, do what you gotta” fashion. Seifer retrieved the phone and picked up.

“The. Hell do you want, Twinkerbell.”

On the other end, Roxas huffed in irritation.

 _“How many times do I have to tell you to_ stop _calling me that?! Jackass!! Ugh, you’re_ impossible _. Anyway, we’re all ready to go. Where the hell are you?”_

Seifer was basically on autopilot at this point, the banter coming naturally as his mind struggled to process the situation at hand.

“What, you’re not going home with that guy you were throwing yourself at earlier? The redhead?”

Roxas snorted.

_“Who, Lea? He doesn’t get off for another couple hours. I invited him to my hotel room when he’s done, but in the meantime the rest of us are ready to get the hell out of here and get something to eat to pass the time. Seriously, where are you?”_

“Just. Go without me. I’ll see you tomorrow or something.”

 _“Uh…what? Did you find someone you’re about to bone? You found someone to bone. Fuckin’ hell, it’s about_ time _.”_

Seifer couldn’t help but snort. Leave it to _Twinkerbell_ to draw that sort of conclusion.

“Sure, whatever, are we done? Just tell the others I’ll meet up with them later. Get the hell out of here, bye.”

 _“Whatever, asshole, we_ will _. Have fun fuckin’~”_

“You little—”

Roxas had already disconnected before Seifer could chew his ass. It was probably for the best, anyway. He looked at Vanitas, who watched him with an amused smirk.

“That was relatively anticlimactic.”

Seifer could only shrug, causing Vanitas to snort.

“Alright, I get it. Well, if you’re satisfied with that, follow me. Aqua, you’re free for the rest of the night. On your way out, have someone take care of that mess.”

He gestured to what remained of Seifer’s mint julep. Aqua nodded as she cleared off the poker table. Terra stood from the couch and offered his hand to Ventus, who gracefully took it and flashed his husband a sweet smile. Seifer couldn’t believe how _casual_ everything was right now; did nobody care about his predicament at all?

Scratch that, of course they didn’t. They were goddamn _yakuza_.

Vanitas stood from his seat and stretched. Without another word, he gestured for Terra, Ventus, and Seifer to follow him. Terra and Ventus moved without question, whereas Seifer hesitated for a moment before tentatively following them out. A million questions swam through his mind, but none that he could answer. How the hell was he going to get out of this one? What would he tell his friends? Would he ever be able to go home? Was he going to actually die tonight, or did Vanitas have other plans for him? He didn’t know, and part of him didn’t _want_ to know regarding that last question. The reality of the situation still hadn’t fully set in, so he wasn’t sure _what_ to expect at this point. Honestly, it still seemed like a fever dream to him as he followed the three gangsters to a private sector of the parking garage.

The next few minutes passed by in a blur as he found himself climbing into an inconspicuous black car. Terra and Ventus had left them to get in their own car, so Seifer was officially left alone with Vanitas. Well, almost alone, considering there was a chauffeur, but still.

“ _Relax_ , will ya? I’m not gonna kill you as long as you don’t give me a reason to,” Vanitas said, noticing how tense Seifer was. “Just enjoy the ride.”

“Where are we going?”

“ _Home_.”

“Ah…”

The golden-eyed crime lord smiled impishly, clearly enjoying Seifer’s plight. Seifer could see why; it’s not everyday someone just obtains a _slave_. He was certain Vanitas had some unpleasant plans in store for him, but he didn’t know which was worse out of all the options that went through his head. Someone to torture? A new (forced) gang member? A _fuck toy_? Lord Ifrit only knew at this point, and Seifer was in no hurry to find out.

“So, Seifer. Tell me about yourself.”

Seifer was snapped from his thoughts. He stared at Vanitas for a moment, slightly taken aback by the nonchalance of the question given the circumstances. Here he was, about to become the actual property of the region’s most notorious crime lord, and said crime lord was asking him questions like it was a blind date.

“Uh…well…I’m a salaryman for my day job, but on the side I work at a local fitness center and teach self-defense classes… I guess I’ve always been a fan of sparring, and I kinda collect weapons as a hobby? I’m not a dedicated collector or anything, but yeah.”

Vanitas nodded, appearing to be interested.

“Favorite color?”

“Er…red…”

“Favorite food?”

“Steak, I guess? I like meat.”

“Mmhm, mmhm. What kind of music do you like?”

“Rock? Mostly alternative, but I like a wide variety.”

“Sweet or salty?”

“Uh…salty…?”

“Meh. Spicy or mild?”

“What does this have to—uh, spicy, I suppose…”

“Since you like sparring, I take it you’re pretty good at holding your own in a fight?”

Seifer nodded. He was unsure where the interrogation was going, but talking casually like this was helping calm his nerves.

“Yeah. That I can stand behind,” he said.

Vanitas smirked.

“I’ll have to test you on that later. You said you collect weapons, yeah? What kind?”

“Mostly blades. I’m more interested in gunblades than anything.”

“ _Gunblades_ , huh? Know how to use one?”

Seifer nodded again, a slight smirk twitching at the corner of his lips. He had always loved gunblades and had been learning how to handle them since he was a kid. He liked to consider himself to be an expert, and he would proudly boast about that to the world.

“I know a thing or two. I mean, around my town I’m the local expert, so you tell me.”

The raven-haired man cocked an eyebrow, his smirk broadening. Crossing one leg over the other, he rested back in his seat.

“Well, well, color me impressed~” he purred. “Once again, I’ll have to test you on that later~ For now, you should congratulate yourself for being somewhat interesting. We also have similar favorites and preferences, so I guess I’ll keep you around~”

Well _that_ was unexpected. Was he being taken hostage, or was he being given a compatibility test? The longer he spent with the Vanitas, the more perplexed he found himself. Obviously yakuza bosses were supposed to be enigmas, but this anti-twink seemed to take it a step further by making himself completely unpredictable. He was haughty and appeared to have some sort of god complex, but at the same time he seemed to be pretty reasonable and—dare he say— _frisky_ ; cruel, yet oddly considerate. He seemed to be a walking paradox, and Seifer knew that he wasn’t bluffing when he presented himself as _dangerous_ , but he’d be lying if he didn’t admit that Vanitas was shaping up to be _fascinating_. Although he still would rather _not_ be in this dilemma, as the thought of being “owned” by someone put a bad taste in his mouth, he couldn’t help wanting to break the ice a little further and find out how the golden-eyed devil operated.

“So…” he said, relaxing a bit. “What about you?”

“Ha!” Vanitas laughed. “So that’s how you think it works, eh? Hate to break it to you, but I’m the one who asks questions. You’ll just have to take whatever info I give you and figure shit out on your own. Since we’ll be spending _a lot_ of time together, I’m sure you’ll pick up things pretty quick~ Like you did earlier with the game~”

Little _prick_.

Before he knew it, the car had turned into a large driveway that led to an elaborate mansion. All rich people properties looked the same to Seifer, so he didn’t bother taking in the details as the vehicle came to a halt. Vanitas stretched and opened his door, and Seifer followed suit. He followed the yakuza boss into the mansion and glanced around. The inside looked almost as generic as the outside, just as one would expect a hyper-rich asshole’s home to look; it looked just like any other mansion interior anyone could find in movies or on the Internet, save for the impressive collection of weapons decorating the walls—far more impressive than the collection in the private room of the casino. The Void Gear motif appeared to be everywhere, as well; clearly he was dealing with a man who was _extremely_ proud of his gang. Vanitas took notice, and Seifer braced himself for a lecture of some sort.

“I started Void Gear from the ground up, by myself. Well, Ventus helped, too. I’ll admit we had to piggyback off of an old gang to gain our footing, but here we are. So yeah, I’m proud of it, and I’ll fuckin’ shout it to the world if I have to.”

“Er…I wasn’t judging or anything…” Seifer mumbled, scratching the back of his neck.

“Yeah, you’d better _not_ be. Now quit gawking and follow me.”

Seifer was seriously starting to reconsider everything he contemplated in the car. Still, having already accepted his powerlessness in the situation, he obeyed and followed Vanitas through the house to a room that could only be described as a private tattoo parlor. He did _not_ like where this was going.

“Take a seat,” Vanitas instructed, gesturing to a single black chair in the middle of the room.

Seifer hesitated for a moment, but reluctantly took a seat. He watched as the crime lord removed his suit jacket and rolled up the sleeves of his maroon shirt. After preparing some ink and the needle, he washed his hands walked over to his hostage. Sizing him up for a moment, Vanitas nodded to himself and grabbed some sterilizing supplies.

“Shirt off,” he commanded.

 _Fuck_.

Seifer did _not_ like this at all. The last thing he needed—let alone _wanted_ —was a tattoo that most likely would serve as some sort of _brand_ tying him to Void Gear. Still, he knew that resistance was futile if he wanted to survive the night, so he did as he was told. Vanitas let out a low whistle as he eyed him up even more, clearly impressed by Seifer’s well-defined muscles.

“You could _almost_ give Terra a run for his money,” he hummed. “ _Almost_. If he wasn’t a fucking _giant_ with the biggest goddamn tits I’ve ever seen, you’d be right up there.”

Seifer tried not to blush, but knew he was failing. He simply nodded, recalling the sheer size of Terra’s beefy build. He was impressive—especially his pecs—Seifer would give him that. Still, that didn’t give this little demon the right to mark _his_ body, dammit!

“Er…if that’s the case, wouldn’t it be better to _not_ mark my body? Because I. _Really_ don’t want a tattoo.”

Vanitas started at him, almost perplexed, before he burst into rambunctious laughter. Snickering to himself, he wiped tears of mirth from his golden eyes before looking back at Seifer.

“Terra’s got one, too~ Though he was much more _willing_ because he married my brother.” He paused to smirk. “Regardless, you’re now part of the family, too. Whether you like it or _not_.”

Thus far Seifer had been proud of himself for exercising so much _patience_ , as he was under normal circumstances _not_ a patient man. Desperate times call for desperate measures, however, but now that temperance he worked so hard to exercise was starting to break down. As the situation escalated, so too did his frustration, and he wasn’t going to tolerate it.

“Okay, humor me this, Vanitas. What the fuck are you actually planning for me? I think I have a right to know. I’m not too thrilled by the prospect of being _murdered_ , but I’m starting to think that might be a much better outcome compared to what you have planned!”

Yep, he was dead. He was fucking dead. He knew it, he was going to end up chopped up and disposed of in a dumpster tonight, but fuck it; he’d rather fight back than die a coward.

Vanitas blinked a couple times as he stared at the other man. Surprisingly, he didn’t laugh, nor did he smirk. Instead, he stared at Seifer calmly and placed a hand on his hip as if weighing his response before he gave it.

“I’m making you a member of Void Gear,” he said simply. “ _Obviously_. I like your attitude, so I wanna keep you around. Plus, you both threatened _and_ insulted me, so you’re getting what you deserve. Actually, scratch that. You _deserve_ to be thrown into a meat grinder and fed to the dogs, but because I _do_ like you, you’re _here_ instead. However, if you’re so keen on _dying_ , I can arrange _that_ if you’d prefer.”

Seifer sat in stunned silence as he processed the devil’s words. Realization began to dawn on him, and he wasn’t sure how to proceed as new insight came to light. Vanitas, on the other hand, started to grow more impatient with each dreadfully quiet second.

“ _Well_?” he demanded. “What _do_ you prefer?”

The pride, the cockiness, the sheer jackassery—it was all being over-exaggerated. The ruthlessness and danger? That was real, he could see it clear as day, but Seifer was starting to think that there was a lot more to Vanitas than he was letting on. Specifically how _proud_ he was of his gang, and how he had (albeit sarcastically) told Seifer he was now part of the “family.” The gambling, teasing his brother about his marriage, the moments of consideration, the car interrogation—all of it led to one conclusion: Vanitas, despite being the most notorious crime lord in the region, was _lonely_. At least that’s what Seifer was hoping, because breaking through to a lonely person was a hell of a lot easier than trying to connect with a criminal who was hell-bent on simply making other peoples’ lives miserable. However, he decided that now was not the time to push it; the best strategy would be to _wait_ , and it would all fall into place. Instead, he would bide his time and just roll with it. Although he was never one for pitying others or being the metaphorical “shoulder to cry on,” if he was right about Vanitas, it would make an interesting challenge. Hell, the man was already interesting _anyway_ , never mind the fact that he _was_ still Seifer’s type.

So, he made his decision.

“… _Fine_. Whatever, let’s just get it over with, then.”

Vanitas smirked and nodded.

“That’s what I thought. Don’t worry, it’ll just be a small one. No point in trying to cover your entire body. That would take way too damn long, and I’m tired.”

Seifer simply sighed and nodded. He forced himself to relax as Vanitas sanitized the patch of skin he was going to ink: right above his heart (okay, so that was precious, Seifer wasn’t going to lie; it was _adorable_ ). Carefully laying down the outline of his signature split gear, Vanitas marked the area and nodded to himself in approval before sitting himself down and getting to work. Seifer winced slightly at the sting, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as he thought it would be. Though uncomfortable and a little painful from time to time, he was able to relax and let the golden-eyed gangster do his thing. He watched as Vanitas alternated between red and black ink, occasionally stopping to wipe the blood away. He was incredibly focused on the project; his face was stern, yet held its natural expression rather than twisting into one of mischief. Upon seeing such an expression, Seifer realized how beautiful Vanitas truly was.

“You’ve done this before,” he stated, eyes focused on Vanitas’s face.

Without looking away from the tattoo, the raven-haired man nodded slightly.

“I was a tattoo artist before all this. Ten years ago.”

“Oh…?”

“Mm. It was a dream of mine, ever since I was small. I saved up over the years and bought my parlor shortly after I turned eighteen. Ven helped, too, because we only had each other. I was good at what I did, too. I had a ton of returning customers, who brought in lots of new ones. I was young, but I was passionate and had a talent. People loved that.”

There was a slight hint of sadness in his golden eyes as he spoke. It was actually heartbreaking to see.

“What happened…?” Seifer asked, trying to gently coax him into opening up, even if only slightly.

 Vanitas hesitated for a moment, his gaze turning cold as the recollection came to him.

“TL;DR of the whole situation is that I was threatened into handing over my business by a yakuza clan,” he grumbled.

“Ah… So then…if I had to guess, you did because there was nothing else you could do, so you then joined a rival clan, plowed through the ranks until you became the boss, changed the gang’s name to Void Gear, and extracted your revenge on the clan that stole your tattoo parlor? And you were able to become infamous so fast because you learned how to gamble and strategize from other gang members.”

The crime lord pulled the needle away to stare at Seifer.

“…That obvious?”

Seifer shrugged.

“Well, you _did_ say earlier that that you piggybacked off of an old gang to build this one up. And back at the casino you kept going on about _strategy_ and all that bullshit, so. I figured those tied in together somehow.”

“Damn, when you put it _that_ way. At least I know you’re actually smarter than you make yourself out to be.”

“What— _hey_!!” Seifer exclaimed, offended.

This in turn caused Vanitas to regain his signature smirk.

“Aw, did I hurt your feelings? It’s true, isn’t it? What kind of _dumbass_ goes around threatening someone because they insulted his drinking choices? I mean, _c’mon_.”

“That’s. When you put it _that_ way…”

“Ha! Moral of the story: don’t threaten strangers over something fuckin’ dumb, because they may end up literally owning your ass.”

Seifer couldn’t help but laugh. Bantering was something he had always been good at, and apparently this little shithead was, too. He felt like he was going crazy, because he was actually starting to enjoy this.

“I think I need that part in writing,” he said.

“It’s right here on your fucking chest, genius,” Vanitas shot back.

“What, done already?”

“Uh, yeah. It’s a small one. And here you were earlier, being a little _bitch_ about it.”

“You pretty much threatened me into getting it, damn!”

Seifer couldn’t believe this. How _dare_ this devil turn the tables on him like that. Here they were, _bonding_ (if you could really call it that), and now they were back to square one. Well, maybe square two, considering this wasn’t nearly as frustrating as their first interaction.

“Well, whatever,” he muttered. “So, what now? Since I’ve technically been initiated into the family or whatever, what’s my first order of business?”

“First order of business is to let that stop bleeding,” Vanitas answered, taping a thin film of plastic wrap over the tattoo. “In a couple hours, wash it with soap and put some of this on it.”

He handed Seifer a tube of antibiotic ointment.

“Do this a few times a day. Keeping it clean and moisturized is critical,” he continued. “Otherwise it could get infected. If it starts itching when it scabs over, _don’t_ scratch it. Put more ointment on it.”

Seifer nodded and carefully slipped his shirt back on.

“Sounds easy enough. So, uh. Does this mean I can go home, or?”

Vanitas seemed to ponder this question, his eyes darting from left to right in thought. Once he came up with a suitable answer, he looked at Seifer and grinned.

“That depends. Think you can beat me in a game?”

Seifer groaned, running a hand through his hair in frustration. Vanitas only laughed at his misery, as he was prone to do. He had it up to _here_ with “games,” and he wanted to tell the anti-twink to shove whatever game he had in mind up his ass, but decided against it. Instead, he sighed and shook his head.

“Alright, _fine_. What game do we play this time,” he muttered unenthusiastically.

“This time I’ll let you decide.”

Well _that_ was different. He wasn’t expecting _that_ , but he wasn’t going to complain.

Instead, he held his head high and confidently declared, “Go Fish.”

Vanitas’s face _dropped_. For a moment, he had no idea how to process what he had just heard. Seifer could only observe in mild concern as the yakuza boss just stood there, apparently dumbfounded. When the spirit finally returned to his body, he threw his head back and laughed. _Loudly_.

“Are you _fucking_ kidding me? _Go Fish_?!”

Seifer bristled.

“Oh, fuck off! It’s the only fuckin’ card game I can _actually play_!”

Vanitas only laughed _harder_ , doubling over as he clutched his side in pain.

“ _Fuckin’ hell_ , fucking _Go Fish_ , I just…! I just fuckin’ nabbed a _baby_ , first a mint fuckin’ julep and now _Go Fish_ , I can’t…!!”

Had this been any ordinary situation, Seifer would have told Vanitas to kiss his ass, put him in his place, and left. Unfortunately, this was not an ordinary situation, and if he did either, he was confident he wouldn’t be around for very long to enjoy the aftermath. Instead, he just stood there in silence, crossing his arms and glaring daggers at the golden-eyed devil until he finally calmed down.

After coughing and wiping his eyes, Vanitas looked at Seifer and said, “Alright, fine~ We’ll play _Go Fish_. If you win, you can go home. If _I_ win, you have to stay the night.”

…He shouldn’t have been turned on by that. He shouldn’t have, but he _was_. Oh, _Ifrit_ , how he was. The way Vanitas’s voice had shifted lower in pitch and the hint of seduction in his tone practically _floored_ Seifer. He _almost_ said to just scrap the idea and that he would voluntarily stay, but he restrained himself. After all this little prick had put him through (and most likely _would_ be putting him through from here on out), there was no way he was going to make it that _easy_. Instead, he snorted and rolled his eyes.

“Well if you’re _done_ , are we gonna do this or not. Because honestly, I’d really like to go home.”

Although his demeanor was mostly stoic at this point, Vanitas couldn’t hide the slight glimmer of disappointment in his eyes. Seifer had caught it, but he wasn’t going to apologize. _Especially_ not after being laughed at for the umpteenth time.

“ _Fine_ ,” the smaller man growled. “Let’s _play_.”

 _Oof_ , okay, that was a little harsh.

Seifer nodded and followed him into the parlor, where the little devil fumbled through a drawer and retrieved a deck of cards. After shuffling the deck, he sat down in the chair across from Seifer and dealt the cards. Judging by the aggression in which the cards were dealt, Seifer had a feeling that regardless if he won or lost, there would be hell to pay later.

“Er…so do I start, then?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

“Alright. So, uh, got any Threes?”

Vanitas snorted and handed him a card. Seifer nodded.

“Got any Sevens?”

“Go fish,” the crime lord mumbled. Growling slightly to himself, he muttered under his breath, “ _Ridiculous_.”

Seifer exhaled and retrieved a card from the top of the stack. He then looked at Vanitas expectantly.

“Gimme any Tens you got.”

“Go fish.”

“ _Fuck_!”

Seifer had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. It was oddly endearing watching a previously overconfident gang boss throw a tantrum over having to play a classic card game. Clearly he was out of his element, and Seifer wouldn’t deny that it was adorable in its own way. As the game progressed, Vanitas slowly began to calm down. Before long, his demeanor had completely shifted into the same expressionless, difficult-to-read disposition he had during five-card draw. He was focused, and Seifer could tell he was getting into it. He couldn’t help but crack a miniscule smile. Vanitas didn’t appear to notice, as he kept his gaze fixated on his cards.

Back and forth they exchanged cards, each building their books of four. Finally, when they were out of cards, they counted up what they had to see who had the most out of thirteen.

“Six,” Vanitas declared, sighing.

Seifer nodded.

“Seven,” he responded. “Looks like I win.”

“Yep. So, looks like you get to go home for the night.”

Although he attempted to hide it, Seifer was still able to notice the small look of disappointment in Vanitas’s face. He had decided halfway through the game that he was going to stay, because honestly, the prospect of actually going home right now was a lot more boring than it originally had been.

“So…what happens if I change my mind? About…going home, I mean,” he asked, watching the golden-eyed beauty.

Vanitas glanced at him in surprise, clearly not expecting that type of question.

“Why _would_ you? You’re here against your will, after all,” he replied, glancing back at the table to gather the cards.

“Well, that was…fun. _I_ had fun anyway. And don’t lie, I could tell you started having fun, _too_.”

The smaller man snorted, trying to fight back the slight blush that crept to his cheeks.

“I’m a boss in the _yakuza_. I don’t do _fun_.”

Seifer grinned.

“Bullshit. I call bullshit, you do _too_ , you had _fun_.”

“Sh-shut the hell up, I did _not_!!”

Seifer could only laugh in response. As he did, he heard Vanitas let out a soft snort of amusement. It appeared that they were both in agreement.

“In all seriousness,” Seifer said, looking at Vanitas once more. “I did change my mind. I want to stay.”

Vanitas stared at him, eyes slightly wide with shock. He had not been expecting that, but deep down he was appreciative. So he simply nodded, a mischievous smirk creeping across his lips.

“Alright. But tell me, what _reason_ do you have to stay, hm? Besides having _fun_ playing a _child’s card game_.”

Seifer shrugged, resting back into his chair with a small smirk of his own.

“Well, I can tell _you_ don’t want me to go, so.”

“What— _I_ don’t care what you do either way!”

“Bull. _Shit_.”

Vanitas rolled his eyes and threw up his arms in exasperation.

“Think whatever the fuck you want, but I _don’t_.”

“Fine, fine~ Whatever you say~ But in all seriousness,” Seifer paused to eye up the raven-haired demon. “I know what we can do that you _will_ find _fun_.”

Vanitas’s eyebrow twitched in interest, a coy _smile_ replacing his smirk.

“ _Do you_ , now~?” he purred, seductively ogling the larger man. “Well, I’m listening~”

“Despite you being an absolute _shithead_ , the moment I saw you, I realized you were my _type_. Now that things have settled down and you showed me you’re not a _complete_ garbage person, what say we _get to know each other_ a little more _intimately_?”

The crime lord snorted and covered his mouth, an amused laugh escaping him.

“That’s the lamest fucking thing I’ve ever heard, but hot _damn_ if I don’t wanna sit on your face.”

Seifer was about to retort, his pride once again having been attacked despite enjoying the idea of this asshole sitting on his face, but all fight within him dissipated as Vanitas casually slid onto his lap. He had _not_ been expecting that.

“So, you wanna get to know each other more _intimately_ , yeah? Alright, then~ I suppose if you’re gonna be super lame and tell me shit like I’m your ‘type’ or whatever, I might as well do the same and say that you’re _my_ type, too~ Why do you think I did what I could to keep you for myself? _Surely_ you didn’t think it was just because I liked your attitude alone~”

 _Oh_.

“W-well…uh…”

Vanitas continued to smile as he ran his fingers through Seifer’s hair. With a soft groan, Seifer gripped the golden-eyed devil’s hips and pulled him closer. Vanitas continued to purr seductively as he sensually ran his hands along the larger man’s chest, careful to avoid the tattoo. Enjoying the feeling of such strong hands on his hips, he carefully adjusted himself to grind against Seifer’s erection. Seifer moaned louder; Vanitas was _hooked_. Nipping at Seifer’s bottom lip, he ground down harder in an attempt to get a better feel for him.

“ _Mmm_ …~ _Wow_ , you’re pretty packed, yeah?” he murmured, voice heavy with lust. “You any good at using it~?”

Seifer exhaled deeply as he ran his hands along Vanitas’s thighs, thrusting slightly against him in response. Vanitas whined in need, kissing and nipping along the other man’s neck.

“Why don’t I _show you_?” Seifer breathed heavily, taking the raven-haired devil by the chin to peck his lips. “If you’re satisfied, I’ll make sure you’re not so lonely anymore…”

“Lonely? Who says—mm…~—I’m _lonely_?”

“I figured it out earlier, but if you wanna deny it, fine. I’ll argue with you later, just. _Fuck_ …”

“Mmm, you gonna finish that sentence, or you want me to~?”

Seifer growled and pressed his lips against Vanitas’s. He heard the smaller man’s breath hitch before he slowly melted into the kiss. His lips were surprisingly soft and pleasantly plump. As he deepened the kiss, he tasted the bitterness of sake still lingering in the little devil’s mouth. Vanitas whined against him and snaked his arms around his shoulders. After he wrapped his legs around the other man’s waist, Seifer stood up.

Hesitantly pulling out of the kiss and instead giving the crime lord several pecks, he huskily murmured, “Not bad…”

“Mmm, I can taste the _mint_ …~” Vanitas purred, nipping his lip. “If you’re gonna hang around here, you’ll need to learn to appreciate _real_ alcoholic beverages~”

Seifer snorted, tenderly brushing noses with the imp.

“ _Fuck_ you, mint juleps are delicious.”

“Mmm, _fuck_ _me_ , indeed~”

Seifer laughed and wandered out of the parlor. As Vanitas pointed him in the direction of the bedroom, he realized that he was not going to be getting a quiet place to take it easy. Not right _tonight_ anyway. Only this time, he wasn’t complaining. The only headache he’d be feeling would be from a little golden-eyed devil bouncing on his _second_ head. Plus, as delicious as mint juleps were, Seifer had discovered something much sweeter—and much more _addicting_.

(It appeared that for once in his life, Roxas “Twinkerbell” Maddox had correctly predicted something pertaining to Seifer, who was satisfied he ended up getting dragged to a birthday bash.)

**Fin.**

**Author's Note:**

> A “Bad Beat” is poker terminology for when a player has the best of hands and the odds are heavily with them, but gets beaten in the hand by a long-shot draw; I didn’t know this until after I finished writing this and was trying to come up with a better title than the original one!
> 
> (Also...I have no idea how to play poker, so.)


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